Angels get Pujols!?!

[B-Fly]

I think y'all mis-read J's post. He's saying this signing destroys the argument that small market teams can compete for top free agents. The Angels are big market, the Cardinals are small market. Although there's a legit question of whether, despite that St. Louis itself is a relatively small media market, the Cards' historic strength throughout the Midwest/Plains region renders the Cards a team that can and should transcend the limitations of its local media market.

[revo]

I think y'all mis-read J's post. He's saying this signing destroys the argument that small market teams can compete for top free agents. The Angels are big market, the Cardinals are small market. Although there's a legit question of whether, despite that St. Louis itself is a relatively small media market, the Cards' historic strength throughout the Midwest/Plains region renders the Cards a team that can and should transcend the limitations of its local media market.

I never thought of STL as a "small market" because market size when it comes to baseball usually is more about team interest than just sheer population. If we determined baseball club market size based solely on regional population, Oakland & Miami would be considered large-market, Boston, San Diego & Tampa Bay would be considered closer to mid-market, and Milwaukee would be the smallest market among all baseball teams. But their payrolls say otherwise, as does STL's (routinely Top 10).

[roadtrip68]

I never thought of STL as a "small market" because market size when it comes to baseball usually is more about team interest than just sheer population. If we determined baseball club market size based solely on regional population, Oakland & Miami would be considered large-market, Boston, San Diego & Tampa Bay would be considered closer to mid-market, and Milwaukee would be the smallest market among all baseball teams. But their payrolls say otherwise, as does STL's (routinely Top 10).

No kidding. Not like attendance is down at cards games. I always thought of them as between the middle and top.

[Sour Masher]

Wow, rotoworld reports that the Marlins were the highest bidder at 10 years $275 million. If that is true, $21 million more, and no state income tax would be shocking to leave on the table. Is a no trade clause really worth that much?

[roadtrip68]

Wow, rotoworld reports that the Marlins were the highest bidder at 10 years $275 million. If that is true, $21 million more, and no state income tax would be shocking to leave on the table. Is a no trade clause really worth that much?

It would seem so.

[Bob Kohm]

Wow, rotoworld reports that the Marlins were the highest bidder at 10 years $275 million. If that is true, $21 million more, and no state income tax would be shocking to leave on the table. Is a no trade clause really worth that much?

That doesn't make sense. A contract with those kinds of numbers is really no-trade clause enough, isn't it? If it isn't that's some serious distrust of Loria by Pujols and Lozano; you almost have to wonder if they didn;t have a concrete suspicion of something not being right in Miami.

[Sour Masher]

This puts a pin in the talk about it being all about the money then. Not only did the Marlins offer more, if these reports are true, but Cali's tax rate is close to 10% and Florida's is zero. Taking that into consideration, Pujols left nearly $50 million on the table.

[Moonlight J]

This puts a pin in the talk about it being all about the money then. Not only did the Marlins offer more, if these reports are true, but Cali's tax rate is close to 10% and Florida's is zero. Taking that into consideration, Pujols left nearly $50 million on the table.

Miami didn't put up a no-trade clause. They were trying to give him more money in lieu of one

[roadtrip68]

I'd certainly prefer to live in California over Florida. Not sure if that factored in, though. Sure seems like it did with CJ Wilson.

"Wilson signed a five-year, $77.5MM deal with the Halos, but agent Bob Garber told Ken Rosenthal Wilson could "easily" have gotten $100MM, and the Marlins "would not let it go." Said Wilson: "But if it were just about money I'd be a Marlin, straight up, because they offered more money, they have a great situation."

Wilson was born and grew up in southern Ca so yeh, it had to be a pretty big factor.

[gcstomp]

I would love for Miami to have landed the big fish, Mr. Pujols, being a south florida resident.

But something certainly seems off with the Marlins, the offer of $275 mill seems too good to be true. Coupled with the other free spending deals this has a ponzi scheme feel, like the financials are a house of cards and Pujols just did not want to be caught in the firestorm dismantling that will take place 5 years from now when it all hits the fan.

[Bob Kohm]

But something certainly seems off with the Marlins, the offer of $275 mill seems too good to be true. Coupled with the other free spending deals this has a ponzi scheme feel, like the financials are a house of cards and Pujols just did not want to be caught in the firestorm dismantling that will take place 5 years from now when it all hits the fan.

This ^

[Sour Masher]

I would love for Miami to have landed the big fish, Mr. Pujols, being a south florida resident.

But something certainly seems off with the Marlins, the offer of $275 mill seems too good to be true. Coupled with the other free spending deals this has a ponzi scheme feel, like the financials are a house of cards and Pujols just did not want to be caught in the firestorm dismantling that will take place 5 years from now when it all hits the fan.

This may be true, but in the modern history of baseball (not going back to the days when players were traded for cases of beer) has their ever been a player who signed a legal contract, did not violoate the terms of that contract, and not been paid what he was owed?

Or do you mean that he'd still be getting his, but they'd sell off everything around him? That makes sense, and again, reiterates the point that is isn't just about the money. And of course, it shouldn't be. Pujol's quality of life will be impacted by where he plays and who he plays with much more than it will be if he has $50 million more. He already has made and will make more money than anyone could possibly need in a 100 life times.

[TranaGreg]

there are likely other factors that aren't being reported that made for an uneven playing field ... incentives & bonuses, injury clauses, etc.

If I had a choice of getting paid a quarter of a billion dollars by a well established organization or $275M from one that doesn't have the same pedigree, I'd probably go for the more secure option. With these dollars, the "likelihood of bankruptcy" has to factor in to some degree.

[gcstomp]

This may be true, but in the modern history of baseball (not going back to the days when players were traded for cases of beer) has their ever been a player who signed a legal contract, did not violoate the terms of that contract, and not been paid what he was owed?

No, I was not at all suggesting that there was a chance that the Marlins contracts would not be honored.

[fuhrdog]

Allen Craig just had surgery and is questionable for opening day, so they should just move Berkman back to right field and replace the lost offense .

I think it makes much more sense to put Berkman at 1B and look for an outfielder. This sure has to sting the Cards but I think in the long run they will be happy it turned out the way it did.